Chasing Catalina | Book One: Worshipping Ashes

6. | The Darkness

I'm not a stalker. I don't do the whole Joe Goldburg thing and Catalina isn't Beck, or Love or... any of those women. This isn't some television show where I am casted as the "hot stalker guy"- no. I'm here to make sure she's safe.

Last night was botched, I made a couple of mistakes. I know, but I am going to make up for my botched entry to Catalina in due time. After reading up on this GENESIS thing.

I flipped the page of the journal as I bit on the end of the pen. My feet propped up on the counter of the coffee shop. It was in that lull of rushes and that was perfect, I didn't have to do much during these times for Rebecca. Speaking of, I glanced up from the journal to look around the counter where she was chatting up one of the regular gentlemen who always droned on and on about the same old war story.

I could practically recite it by now.

Anyways, I shake my head lightly to shake myself out of the distraction to return my thought to the device that Catalina was working on, and to answer your question, no. I am not writing all over it.

I pulled the pen from my teeth just to begin to write down the notes and questions I had on a waitress's order pad. Could I just write in the margins of the notebook and have her look over them later? Perhaps, but that would bring on more questions than answers... and then it would bring on accusations, which would be factual, and then police and blahdy-blah blah. I'd rather not deal with that.

I didn't have to worry about her running today either, because it was storming. The rain pitter pattered and beat against the window like tiny pebbles being thrown. Thunder rumbling from time to time as I glanced back up and over my shoulder at the windows.

"I oughta get me a cup of joe." The older man says as he settles in the barstool at the opposite end of the counter. "Zander," The man mentions as he waves a hand in my direction, catching my attention for a brief moment. "You findin' what you've been meanin' to?" he asks me and I smile softly. Forcing me to engage in conversation with the lunatic man, I sat up straight and closed Catalina's journal. Settling it to the counter on top of the notes I've been taking.

"Nah, not yet." I pause as I chuckle lightly, "I'm getting there, but... I just got to an obstacle that I'm tacklin' right now." I nod and clear my throat as I look towards Rebecca as she grabs a milkshake glass and fills it with strawberry drink. Sliding it in my direction and cocked an eyebrow lightly.

"Anything we can do to help?"

"Not really, Becca, thank you. You do too much as it is." I say with creased brows at her, she was not able to help with this one. She couldn't even if I allowed her to try. She seemed to drop the offer as soon as I denied her entry into my situation, which was indeed a relief.

"Well, I'll tell ya one thing," he paused to take a long sip of his black coffee. Setting the mug back down and smiling a bit, "ya won't find what your lookin' for if you're lookin' too hard." He rises from his seat at the counter and pulls out a wallet. Unfurling it and pulling out a couple of dollars for Rebecca and then pulling out a small silver coin. Sliding it across the counter towards me as I caught it in my hand.

"What's this for?" I asked the man with an arched brow.

"Time, son. Time." He would nod before turning away from them and moving out into the storm without an umbrella or a coat. Zander watches quietly as the man walks away before looking back down to the coin in his hand.

"What's that mean?" Rebecca asks me with furrowed brows. Picking up the couple of dollars off of the counter and pushing them into her apron.

"I'm not... entirely sure." My eyes were glued to the coin in my palm. The emblem in the coin was a triangle with a cross within it. I flipped it over in my hand and shook my head softly as the other side was a goat head beveled on it. My eyes squinted lightly as I glanced back up towards the window again, but the man was gone now.